Rajnath Singh and China’s defence minister anticipated meeting on margins of SCO event

Officials familiar with the matter have stated that Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister, is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on April 28.

As reported by Hindustan Times, this meeting comes shortly after the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) had their 18th round of military talks to reduce tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

During the recent corps commander-level talks between India and China on April 23, both sides reached an agreement to uphold security and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

They also decided to maintain close communication and sustain dialogue through both military and diplomatic channels, with the goal of reaching a mutually agreeable resolution for any remaining issues.

Although discussions were held, there was no immediate significant progress.

 On April 28, Singh is scheduled to have one-on-one meetings with the defence ministers of other nations taking part in the SCO defence ministers' conference, as stated by the defence ministry in a statement on Tuesday.

The SCO is made up of eight member countries, including India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

According to officials, the SCO consists of eight member nations. Additionally, two countries observing the meeting, namely Iran and Belarus, will also participate.